Fence



(No Model.)

B. J. LESLIE.

FENCE.

N0. 367,005. Patented July 19, 1887.

Artes t.

lily/n for.

Agg.

UNITED STATES PATENT @tirreno BENJAMIN J. LESLIE, OF BUTLER, KENTUCKY.

FENCE.

SPECIFICATION tolling part of Letters Patent Noi 367,005, dated July 19,1887.

Application filed April S, 18H. Serial No. 234,111.

To @ZZ whom, it may concern:-

Beit known that I, BnNJuIN J. LEsLIE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Butler, Pendleton county, Kentucky, have invented new anduseful Improvements in Felices, of which the following is aspecification.

My'invention relates to fences for farms, duc., of the class in whichrails are lashed together with wire to form panels of convenient length.As heretofore constructed such fences, while convenient and economicalto construct, have been subject to certain disadvair tages which it isthe object of my invention to remedy. These fences have usually beenformed by lashing rails in approximately horizontal relation to verticalposts, forming substantially rectangular panels. As these fences areusually builtl wholly on the surface of the ground and maintained bylateral struts or props similarly lashed to the fence rails or posts,they are more or less subject to strains in various directions by Winds,climbing of persons, and rubbing of animals, &c.,which the Inode ofstructure above indicated is ill adapted to resist. The fence-railsbeing approximately horizontal, the posts vertical, and theretainingwire being looped diagonally around each rail and itssupporting-post, the end motion of the fence strains the loops, and therails gradually work downward by slipping of the wire loops on thevertical posts. Another disadvantage of this construction is that therails between the vertical posts must all be of a given length foreachpanel. Consequently short rails can be utilized only by setting theposts closer together, which multiplies the posts without contributingthereby to the strength of the felice or economizing the cost.

In my improvement I place the supportingposts in a slanting or inclinedposition in the vertical plane of the fence, which brings the Wire loopsbinding the rails and posts together Inore nearly at right angles to theaxis of the post, so that any intermovement of rail and post tends tobed the wire Inore firmly into the wood7 instead of causing it to slipupon the surface.

In building the fence I construct afew panels with the supporting-postsat the same relative inclination and place the terminal post (No model.)

of the next succeeding panel at the opposite inclination. Thus the saidterminal post acts as an end prop for all the panels before it, or,rather, there is constituted a triangular panel, which, with itsterminal posts and connectingrails, forms a strong resting'snpport forthe gravitating tendency of the inclined panels preceding. Moreover, bythe gravitating tendency referred to, the wire loops of the entire.structure are held Itaut upon the rails and posts throughout, and anysrain upon rails or posts tends to bed the wire more tirmlyin the wood,and the rails cannot possibly slip down their supporting-posts withoutactual breakage of the loops, which of course occurs only in isolatedinstances, and is easily repaired.

The triangular supporting-panels may be inserted in the line of fencingas frequently as occasion demands, or a given number of panels may beconstructed beyond such triangular panel, with their end posts allslanting alike in a direction opposite to that ofthe lirstpauels. Thetriangular panels also afford an opportunity to utilize pieces ofdifferent lengths, thereby economizing the material used.

My invention will be more clearly understood by reference to theaccompanying drawing, in which a short section ofthe fence complete isexhibited in perspective elevation.

Referring, now,to the drawing, A Al A3 AA5 A represent the inclinedsupporting-posts of my improved fence, and D represents the rails placedbetween andsecured to the same, constituting panels, as shown. The railsare secured to the posts by Wire loops G, formed by a short section ofWire passed around the rail and post at the meeting-point, having itsends brought together and twisted until the loop is taut and holds theparts tirmly together. The supporting-posts, as will be observed, areinclined to the vertical,whereby the loops C cross the posts in a planemore nearly at right angles to the axis of the posts than would be thecase were the posts themselves vertical. Con seqnently any strains uponthe joint thus formed tends to embed the wire more irmly in the wood.The first three supporting-posts,as shown in the drawing, are inclinedin the saine direction, and the two panels of fence thus Vformed havetherefore a gravitating tendency toward the right hand. This tendency iscoun- IOO teracted byA theinclination ofthe post A, whichtween theuprights A3 A4, being of different lengths and firmly secured to theuprights,con

stitute with the same a supporting frame or truss of great strength andresistance against the movements of the fence from various ac cidentalcauses, as well as the gravitating tendto encies before referred to. Thefence is finished I claim as my invention and desire to secure` 53 inthe usual manner by side braces, D, crossed by Letters Patent of theUnited Statesabove the upper rails and carrying in the l. Inawire andrail fence, apanel or series crotch at the top a Stringer or line ofrails, E, of panels composed of terminal supportingwhich is alsosecured'to the upper ends of the posts similarly inclined atan angle tothe vert5 posts, thus practically constituting what is tical in the lineot' the fence, and horizontal 55 known in common parlance as astake-andrails secured thereto between saidinclined terriderfence.Itwill beobserved thatbetween minal posts and held by wire loops unitingthe uprights A3 A4 and A4 A5 are triangular each rail to theposts,whereby the end-thrust panels in which the crossrails are ofvarious of the panels,due to the inclination ofthe supo.) lengths. Asthese felices are intended to loe porting-posts, strains the loopsalways in the 6o used on farms and to be made up from the resamedirection, substantially as set forth.

fuse timber, it will be seen that this arrange- 2. In a wire and railfence of the character ment enables the farmer to utilize both shortdescribed, the combination of a panel or'series and long pieces in thesame structure, and in ot panels having terminal supporting-posts inthesame panels in many cases, the economy clined at a similar angle to thevertical in the 65 of which is obvious. line of the fence, and havingthereby an end- The general structure of the fence, as above thrust in acertain direction, with a panel or described, is far more rigid anddurable than series of panels having terminal supportingthose rstreferred to, for the reason, among \posts inclined at an opposite angleto the verl 5oy others, that the strain upon the loops is altical,giving an end-thrust in the opposite di- 7o ways in the same direction.For example, the weight of a person crossing the fence simply adds tothe gravitating tendency already eX- isting and falls upon the loopsalready taut,`

Whereas, were the posts vertical, the weight would tend to vdeiiect'them to one side or the other of the vertical, and in course of time toboth sides, t-hus straining the loops in both directions.

4o Additional supports, F, may be provided as required. Iprefer tosecure them, as indicated in the drawing,with a strip or cleat,f,ofhoopiron, nailed to the support F and to the post in such a posit-ionthat one of the wire loops will cross and hold the said cleat at the`line of junction between the support and the post in be obvious in thedrawing, and needs no further description.

-rectionto that ofthe rst panel or series, each panel or series formingan end support for the other, substantially as set forth. In testimonywhereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two` subscribingWitnesses. I

BENJAMIN J. LESLIE. V Witnesses: l

C. D. KERK, E. L. KEER.

the angle there formed. The construction will 1 u

